Anyone in the cable business knows that cable production isn’t something a single machine can handle. From fiber entering the factory to finished cable leaving, it goes through coloring, secondary coating, stranding, sheathing, and other processes. Each process requires dedicated equipment, and only when these machines are connected in series do they form a complete fiber optic cable production line.
As a Premier Cable Machine Manufacturer, Hongkai is often asked the same question by overseas customers: “I want to build a cable production line – what equipment do I actually need to buy?”
Today, let’s go through the equipment list for a complete optical fiber cable production line, helping overseas buyers clarify their procurement thinking.
1. The “Starting Point” of a Cable Production Line: Fiber Coloring Machine
When optical fiber comes out of the draw tower, it is transparent – each strand looking identical. To distinguish different fiber counts during cable production, the fibers must first be colored – red, blue, green, yellow, white, gray, black, brown, purple, pink, aqua, and orange – the 12 standard colors.
The equipment used for this process is called a fiber coloring machine, also known as a fiber optic coloring line.
Hongkai’s fiber coloring machine achieves coloring speeds up to 3,000 m/min, with pay-off tension accuracy of ±0.05 N, equipped with a UV-LED curing system. Uniform color and good color fastness lay a solid foundation for subsequent processes.
2. Putting a “Jacket” on the Fiber: Secondary Coating Line for Optical Fiber
Colored fiber cannot be used directly just yet. A cable usually contains multiple fibers, so they must first be bundled into loose tubes – extruding a plastic tube around the fibers and filling it with water-blocking gel.
The equipment for this process is called a secondary coating line for optical fiber, also commonly known in the industry as a loose tube line.
Hongkai’s secondary coating line for optical fiber achieves excess length control accuracy of ±0.2‰, line speed of 350 m/min, and is compatible with PBT, PP, PE, nylon, and other materials. The extruder screw of the loose tube line is made of 38CrMoAlA alloy steel with nitriding treatment – wear-resistant and long-lasting.
3. “Twisting” the Tubes into a Cable Core: SZ Stranding Line
Once the loose tubes are ready, the next step is to strand multiple tubes together with strength members to form the cable core. The equipment used for this process is the SZ stranding line.
SZ stranding alternates forward and reverse rotation – the path resembles the letters S and Z alternating. Hongkai’s SZ stranding line uses independent servo motors for active pay-off with real-time closed-loop tension sensor control – pay-off tension fluctuation ≤ ±0.4 N, stranding pitch deviation ≤ ±0.08 mm, supporting simultaneous stranding of up to 12 tubes. Differential gears are high-frequency hardened to HRC 50–55, with one set lasting eight to nine years.
4. Putting “Armor” on the Cable Core: Fiber Optic Cable Sheathing Line
After the cable core is completed, the final process is to apply the outer sheath. The sheath is the cable’s “armor,” protecting the internal fibers from moisture, compression, and tensile stress.
The equipment for this process is called the fiber optic cable sheathing line.
Hongkai’s fiber optic cable sheathing line is equipped with a high-precision laser diameter gauge (accuracy 0.2 μm), using a PID algorithm to dynamically adjust extruder screw speed. Over 8 hours of continuous production, concentricity averages 98.6%, with wall thickness tolerance ≤ 0.04 mm, compatible with PE, PVC, LSZH, and other materials.
5. Dedicated for FTTH Butterfly Drop Cable: FTTH Optical Cable Manufacturing Machine
If your primary focus is butterfly-shaped drop cables for fiber-to-the-home, the equipment configuration differs – you need an FTTH optical cable manufacturing machine, rather than the conventional stranding machine + sheathing line combination.
The core of an FTTH optical cable manufacturing machine is the extrusion die – extruding the sheath into a flat butterfly shape with fibers in the center and strength members on both sides. Hongkai’s FTTH optical cable manufacturing machine is compatible with PVC and LSZH materials, capable of producing single-core, dual-core butterfly drop cables, and round drop cables.
6. Dedicated for Indoor Cable: Indoor Optical Fiber Production Line
Indoor cable differs from outdoor cable – softer, thinner, and lighter. Producing indoor cable requires an indoor optical fiber production line.
Hongkai’s indoor optical fiber production line is adapted to data center cables and indoor soft cables, with uniform tight buffer thickness and pay-off tension control accuracy of ±0.05 N.
7. How Is a Complete Cable Production Line Connected?
String the above six processes together, and a complete fiber optic cable production line looks like this:
Fiber coloring machine → Secondary coating line for optical fiber / Loose tube line → SZ stranding line → Fiber optic cable sheathing line → Finished cable
For FTTH butterfly drop cables, use the FTTH optical cable manufacturing machine to replace the back-end processes. For indoor cables, use the indoor optical fiber production line.
As a Premier Cable Machine Manufacturer, Hongkai provides the entire fiber optic cable making machine series, including fiber optic coloring line, secondary coating line for optical fiber, loose tube line, SZ stranding line, fiber optic cable sheathing line, FTTH optical cable manufacturing machine, and indoor optical fiber production line. All equipment is developed on a unified PLC platform (Siemens/Mitsubishi), supporting data acquisition and MES integration, with one-touch recipe loading and changeover completed in 1.5 hours.
8. Overseas Buyers: Watch These Three Data Points When Selecting Equipment
First, precision data. Request the factory test report from the manufacturer. Every Hongkai machine comes with a factory test report – pay-off tension fluctuation, stranding pitch deviation, sheath concentricity – all listed.
Second, changeover efficiency. Does the equipment have recipe storage? Can changeover be done with one-touch loading? Hongkai equipment can store process parameters for up to 20 different products.
Third, export compliance. Does the equipment have CE technical documentation? Are major electrical components from international brands? Hongkai equipment electrical safety design complies with EN 60204-1 standards, with major electrical components from Siemens/Mitsubishi/Schneider – globally warranted.
📩 Get Your Customized Cable Production Line Configuration Proposal
If you are procuring a fiber optic cable production line for an overseas project, or want to learn what equipment Hongkai can provide as a Premier Cable Machine Manufacturer, feel free to contact the Hongkai technical team.
Just tell us three things:
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What type of cable do you want to make? (Loose-tube / FTTH / indoor cable)
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Where will the factory be built? (This affects voltage system and certification requirements)
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Approximately what capacity? (How many kilometers per month or per year)
We will provide a preliminary equipment configuration proposal and quotation within 5 working days.
📧 Email: sales2@hkofcmachine.com
🌐 Website: https://hkofcmachine.com/
